


A Decision Made by the Heart

by Jodaneko



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Demon!AU, Depression, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-06 17:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12215370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jodaneko/pseuds/Jodaneko
Summary: Two young lords from opposite backgrounds are exiled from their homes and forced to cooperate on a plan to prevent a civil war from breaking out. First step to doing this? Learning to trust the other to have their back. [Current T rating, future M rating.]





	1. Exile

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Leokumi Demon AU](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/326328) by CakeTastesLikeRegret. 



> This work is inspired off of CakeTastesLikeRegret's (Tumblr) Leokumi Demon!AU comic they made. I got permission from them to work on a multi-chapter version of their piece, and I am glad to present to you what will be my first, long-term project. I'll try to update once a week so as to keep myself on a consistent schedule. I look forward to seeing all your comments, so please enjoy!

“What?” Leon tried not to sound too distressed, but what his father was saying, surely he didn't really mean-

“Until you learn to quell your unsavory behavioral outbursts, you are hereby exiled from this kingdom. You will leave early tomorrow morning, and if you're not gone from the manor by then, I will personally order an attack on you, do you understand?”

Leon swallowed, eyeing Iago who had a wide smirk on his face. That bastard. 

“Of course father,” the mage managed, bowing low with a hand over his chest, “I will be gone before you know it.” He could hear Xander and Camilla shifting uncomfortably next to him before his brother stepped forward, a hand hovering over his back as he straightened back up.

“Surely, father, he could at least bring a servant or two with him?” Xander spoke slowly, not letting his nervousness seep into his voice.

“He is being exiled, Xander, this isn’t like a vacation,” Iago drawled from the corner, his crooked smile mocking him. “Why would we let him take some servants, especially his retainers, with him to have a fun and merry time? He’s supposed to reflect you know.”

Xander flinched. Nothing would get past this man. Camila went to interject, but Garon spoke up first, leaving her to narrow her eyes at the greasy advisor.

“The only living thing you may take with you is your mare, and that will be all. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir.” 

“Should I find your retainers to have disappeared, I will assume they’ve gone along and send a unit to pursue you, understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Then leave. I’ll send you notice when you may return.”

Leon bowed, the other siblings following his lead, and turned to leave the room, disgusted with the foul play he had been caught up in.

Once they were farther away from the receiving hall, Camilla immediately pulled Leon into a hug, squeezing him so that he couldn’t leave, not that he really wanted to. He quickly reciprocated as he felt tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. 

“It’s not your fault honey, this is all on Iago. Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure to make him suffer  _ plenty _ during your absence. He thought he could mess with my baby brother and get away with it, but oh how wrong he was. You’ll see darling, I’ll avenge you in every subtle, or not so subtle, way possible.”

“Thanks Cam,” Leon responded weakly as he suppressed a sniffle. 

“Oh deary,” she pulled him away from her, holding his shoulders at arm's length as she wiped at his cheeks. “You’ll do fine. It seems like a harsh punishment, but I can tell you of  _ at least _ one time where the same basically happened to Xander.” 

Xander’s face burned red as he began to stammer a refutal while their sister just laughed, dancing around Leon as if he were one of the large pillars in the courtyard. He chuckled at seeing how frantic his brother appeared as they ran around him in a desperate game of chase, Camilla making sure to keep just enough distance to continue to evade him. She deftly dodged a grab from Xander and swooped in a gave Leon a kiss on the cheek, ruffling his hair as he felt his cheeks immediately get warmer. With her job done, Camilla blew a to kiss to her other brother before spinning down an adjacent corridor, leaving him alone with Xander, who was still quite pink in the face: whether from physical exertion or embarrassment he couldn't be quite sure anymore. Leon’s smile faded just a bit when he realized that he wouldn’t have them to cheer him up when he’d start to feel down in his exile. He fiddled with his tunic hem for a bit to distract himself before looking back up, just in time to see Xander’s face looking at him, filled with concern.

“Let’s just be glad Elise is out of the house,” Leon scoffed, looking away from his brother, “she really wouldn’t have liked father’s decision.

“She still won’t when she gets back,” Xander reassured him, moving into his view. “None of us do.”

“Niles and Odin won’t be very pleased either.” 

“And rightfully so, but nothing can be done about it now. If I know Camilla, she’s more than likely setting up provisions for you at this very moment, and don’t think we won’t send people to make sure you’re okay as often as we can. You did the right thing, I assure you.”

“Father certainly doesn’t think so.” Leon huffed, crossing his arms.

“Iago manipulated the situation I’m sure, and besides, father is a very… closed minded individual. We just have to bear it till one of us takes over the household and then-”

‘You mean you, right?”

Xander faltered, opening his mouth as if to apologize, but shook his head quickly. “I am more likely, yes, but it is not guaranteed. As Camilla was saying earlier, even I have messed up. The life we live isn’t necessarily the best life, but we must do it if we are to protect-”

“-the people, I know. I feel like everytime I try to protect them though, I get in some sort of trouble.”

“That’s because…” he paused mid sentence before casting his gaze over either shoulder. Leon titled his head curiously. Xander’s eyebrows scrunched in concentration as he locked his gaze back on Leon. “Come with me brother. We will discuss this further in my room.”

“What about packing?”

“I will have some servants do that for you, but this is a far more pressing matter.”

He turned around, his cape fluttering behind him as he headed towards a large double door. Leon followed closely behind him, not sure what Xander was so urgent to talk to him about. 

His frustration left him as he continued to walk quickly. And here he thought the day couldn’t get any more interesting, well, if being exiled could be considered that at least. Surely no one else could be in a situation like his own, could they? He shook his head, focusing on not losing his brother in the maze that this manor was. The summer home he resided in was far less confusing, which is why he preferred it over the main house; that, and he could stay as far away from his father’s influence as much as possible. He sighed aloud, closing his eyes for a brief moment in agitation.

This really was  _ not _ the most ideal situation.

-O/O\O/O\O-

Oh yeah, this  _ really _ was not an ideal situation.

Takumi shook his head, the hair in his ponytail weighing comfortably on his back, something he dearly needed. 

“I’m sorry my dear, I don’t have any control over this decision. I wish there was another way.”

“It’s okay mother, I understand. Like you said, it’s beyond your control anyways. I know not everyone can be as accepting as you are.” He smiled up at her, his mother, the one woman he knew he could trust when all else failed. Even now she was trying to mirror his smile, but maybe she was doing a little too well, because both of their faces held misery in them. 

“Lady Mikoto?”

“Yes?” His mother straightened up, turning back towards the door. The butler bowed at her before taking a few steps inside the room, eyeing Takumi wearily.

“It has been requested that your… son, leave immediately.” 

Her eyes widened as she tightened the grip on her hands. “I realize that this is a request by the council,” she started confidently, her voice ringing through the room, “however he will be leaving at the original time stated. Do not expect me to move on this subject.” She added more as she saw the man’s eyes flicker over to him again. “He’s not dangerous, so stop acting that way.” After a tense couple seconds, she exhaled slowly, her shoulders sagging a bit. “You have permission to leave now.” The butler bowed again before exiting the room, closing the door quickly behind him.

Lady Mikoto moved back over to the cushioned bench where Takumi sat, sighing as she lowered herself down next to him. 

“It could’ve been worse,” Takumi shrugged, trying to reassure her, “they could’ve demanded I be killed or sent back into slavery. I’m sure I’ll do fine. I was on my own much longer than five months before you found me anyways.”

“That’s not the point,” Lady Mikoto stated quietly. “You’ve been falsely accused, along with the rest of your kind. These charges shouldn’t be applied to you and yet they are all because someone found out that you’re a-”

“I’m your son,” Takumi interrupted kindly, “nothing else but that matters anyways.”

The woman smiled back softly at him, this time a bit more genuine. “You’re such a sweetheart,” she murmured, cupping her son’s face, “it’s such a shame that others don’t want to get to know you.”

“Maybe they did beforehand, but they definitely won't want to now.”

“I will prove your innocence,” his mother said quickly, her chin tilting up a bit as she spoke. “I know it won’t fix everything, but it'll be a start. Then, once you’re back home, we can work together to end all of this nonsense. People may think wrong of me, but I must do what is right, not only for everyone else, but also for you, my son.” Takumi nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak. “Whatever it is that I must do to get you back, I will. Your siblings feel the same as I do on the subject, and, some more than others, are prepared to fight for your injustice.” Takumi closed his eyes. Did they really care about him, or was it just because mother was advocating for him that they were as well? He shook his head to clear the pesky, negative thoughts that had filtered into his brain. He needed to be strong now, so that his mother wouldn't worry about him.

He tuned back in as she handed him a small burlap sack, a beautiful Hoshidan emblem stitched onto the outside of it. 

“It holds enough suppressants for the five months you're to be gone, and enough currency to put you up into a nice lodge for at least a month, so I'm afraid you'll have to find some source of income during your time abroad.”

Takumi clutched the sack close to him as he stood up, tears threatening to spill over if he wasn't careful. 

“This is more than enough. Thank you mother.”

They embraced each other, neither wanting the other to leave. Takumi nuzzled into his mother's neck, knowing that it would more than likely be one of the last times he'd see her for a long time. 

“You should go get your stuff, before they decide to take you against your will.” She murmured, but she didn’t move to let go of him, so he stayed, cherishing the small amount of time he had left with her. At some point they drifted apart and Takumi did go to get his belongings. It wasn’t much, just a small knapsack that he usually used for hunting and a slightly larger bag for some clothes and basic necessities: bringing anymore would just slow him down. Slinging those over his shoulder, he wandered into the garden near his room, lured there by the nostalgic scent of the blooming hydrangeas that had been what originally led him to the manor. He smiled sadly at a cluster of them, not sure whether to feel dread or elation at the thought of leaving. Sure, he loved his family, especially his mother, but he couldn’t help but yearn for the freedom he once had when he had lived on the streets.

He breathed in through his nose, letting the scent fill his nostrils, before exhaling as he set his shoulders back, relaxing his posture. Well, he acted like he had a choice in the matter. He turned back around to leave when he was confronted by a towering figure.

“Ryouma,” Takumi whispered, afraid to break the tranquil silence of the garden. His brother smiled down at him, sorrow in his eyes. 

“Takumi,” he responded, his voice equally soft. He stepped closer, pulling him into a warm hug. It was gentle, done almost as if he were a fragile object. His elder brother stepped back, a small smile on his face. “I'm going to miss you.”

Shocked, all the archer could do was nod stiffly, not sure where he was going with that statement.  

“We've never really talked much, and I know now that it's my fault… and with you leaving, I just feel like we should've spent more time together. You always seemed so content being by yourself but I… I should've known better,” he met Takumi’s eyes apologetically. “Even with mother's love and support, no matter how vast it is, the rest of us, myself included, should've reached out to you more often that we did.” He reached forward, clutching one of Takumi’s hands in his own. “We have so much more in common than you could ever imagine, and you're of course under no obligation to believe me, but I just want you to know that you'll always be considered apart of our family.” Ryouma smiled wearily, and now that he was so close, Takumi could see the way his eyes and the tip of his nose were tinged red, a sure indicator that he'd been crying beforehand. 

“Brother, I-”

“Please,” Takumi interrupted him, a hand up to signal Ryouma’s silence. “Don't make this any harder on yourself,” he said slowly, fighting to keep his voice even. “Besides,” he hit his brother’s shoulder lightly, a smile gracing his lips as he felt the mood shift, “you act as if I'm never going to return.” The other’s eyes widened at him a bit before the brunette also gave off a smile, more radiant than he had seen in awhile. 

“You're right,” the swordsman declared as he straightened up, conveniently blocking the sun from Takumi’s eyes as he did so. “Before we all realize it, you'll be returning to us and we will be able to finally have that family tea party Sakura’s been wanting to try out for a while. It's a Nohrian custom of some sort, a bit different from our tea ceremonies I must say, but she seemed so excited over the idea that I couldn't say no.” Ryouma laughed heartily, though Takumi couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the name of the other noble family. 

“Why Nohrian?” He couldn't help but let the disgust seep into voice. “They're not exactly the most respectable of the noble families and most certainly the most power hungry. Hell, we all know they practically killed father so-” Ryouma shot up an eyebrow, giving Takumi an odd side look before sighing. 

“Listen, their customs shouldn't be connected to their past, or even whoever their current leader is. Things are always changing, and so we shouldn't take the news we hear at face value.”

Takumi stopped, giving his brother a confused look of his own. “Your word choice… almost makes it sound like you  _ know _ something will be changing soon.” A look flashed across Ryouma’s face, but before he could identify what emotion it was connected to, it vanished and was replaced by a warm smile. 

“I simply know someone from the house, that's all.” This was news to him, and his expression must've shown as much since his brother chuckled as he ushered Takumi back toward the house. “I know the eldest son and daughter of the family, and while they are both proficient in combat they are also very sympathetic beings who care a lot for the people in their realm. Going to diplomatic events has its advantages sometimes.” 

He simply nodded as they arrived back in his room, the sliding door closing softly into place behind them. 

“Who's going to be there to see me off?” He inquires out loud, mostly to the empty room rather than the person next to him. 

“The family of course, and some of the pesky officials that want you gone.” 

“I see,” he trailed off, wanting to look anywhere but his brother. “Then, I'll see you at noon. I've still got a couple things to sort out before I go.” In the corner of his eyes he could see the swordsman nod, moving to leave the room. 

“Good luck with your preparations, it won't be long before we're reunited once more.” And then he was gone. 

Takumi released a sigh, not knowing he had been holding his breath in the other’s presence. He said he had more to do, but for the most part everything was already taken care of. He sat down, leaning up against the cool wood of a wardrobe. He couldn't stay here. Not when he was basically exiled because of what he was. He shook his head lightly, the earrings jingling a bit as he did so. He needed to go to another sanction of the kingdom and the nearest was…

He dropped his head. While he wasn't too happy about it, Nohr seemed to be the fastest way out of the Hoshido province; however, the family who ruled it were super shady. Ryouma trusted their two eldest children, but he knew that meant nothing of those underneath them. He'd have to tread lightly, especially because of their slave trafficking practices, but Nohr also did not get involved or spread much about rumors and small political discrepancies like his own situation. He squeezed his eyes shut in concentration, but couldn't think of a better place out of the ones that were nearby. All the other countries would be able to recognize him or the gossip would eventually spread there and he'd probably be run out of town, but the Nohrian people were isolated from such news. Another bright side was that a lot of people went there to escape their past, so people who were slightly strange and randomly appeared one fortnight weren't uncommon to them. 

He got up, shrugging his shoulders to hopefully release the tension in them. Pulling out a map from a drawer in the wardrobe he'd been leaning against, he highlighted the fastest path from his estate to the border, careful to avoid the main roads as he drew out his path. He'd be entering through their eastern gate, but once there, he could cut through the forest and exit through their northern gate and into more neutral territory, into the territory of Valla.

He could go straight through Hoshido to get there as well, but the news had surely spread as far as the countryside by that point and he wouldn't be welcome anywhere. He sighed as he rolled up the map, surveying the room once more. 

It would be hard leaving, but he'd have to do it. He’d have to trust in his mother to clear his name and bring him back home. Tearing his eyes away from his belongings, he exited his room for the last time.


	2. Speculation

“You're kidding,” he said to Xander as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “If that were in fact true, then for what reason did he-”

“Because it's all a farce.” His brother exclaimed, exasperated. “You can't deny the facts Leon, and we both know you're more of a logical thinker than an emotional one.”

“But father being possessed by a demon…” Leon shook his head again thinking about it. “I mean, it makes sense, don't get me wrong, but he’s such a powerful magic user, I never thought-”

“None of us did.” Camilla spoke up from the doorway, twirling a lock of hair in her fingers. “I didn't want to believe it when I was given the report, but we received it from a trustworthy source, and I've seen it myself.” She visibly shivered. “He’s no longer with us, his thoughts now coincide with that of the demon’s. I overheard a conversation between them and it's just as brother and I were fearing; they plan on overthrowing the royalty.”

“I ventured into a conversation with him shortly after hearing this,” his brother went on, turning to him now, “prompting him to talk about his thoughts on conquest and...” concern filled his eyes, “and he seemed more than keen on starting another war, even after I pointed out our lack of resources and how it may hurt the villagers in our domain.”

“That being said, we can use your exilement to our advantage.” Camilla handed him a pocket watch, their family’s crest carved delicately on the outside of it. “I had Odin enchant this with a sort of scry magic, so anytime you open it, one of our’s will react.” She pulled out a pocket watch of her own, the silver shining brightly in the dimly lit room.

“How did he…?”

“Odin’s always been able to accomplish the impossible darling, you should know that better than anyone.” Leon nodded as his sister pocketed the scry watch, smiling at him. He tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher why she seemed so happy.

“But what is it you want me to do with this?” he asked, bringing the watch up to glint in the light. “While this communication device is certainly beautiful and elegantly crafted, I feel like you have something to do or some place in mind for me to go while I’m out.”

Her smile widened as she looked at him fondly; Xander smirked slightly as if he had made a joke. “And this my dearest is why you were always considered our genius. Now that father will expect you to be out of the area and out of his hair, laying low like a “good” child would, you can deliver the message about his plans to the royalty.”

“Y-you can’t be serious?” he stuttered, his eyes widening. He looked between them both. They had gone against their father before, albeit secretly, but this was way beyond what they had done in the past.

“Completely serious. We all know this exilement is more than just because you prevented those villagers from being slaughtered, it’s because he’s been weeding out those who might oppose him when war comes. Because of your display of affection towards that village, he wants you out so that his plans can move along more smoothly.” Xander steps forward, putting a hand on his shoulder, “You may just be our only hope. Things are worse than we feared, and if we don’t act now, we may forever lose what we hold closest to us.”

Leon gulped, feeling a great deal of pressure settling onto his shoulders. “And what of Elise?”

“She will stay unaware.” Camilla stated, turning to leave. “I refuse to put her in danger, and she will be the last person that we’ll bring into the situation, and that’s only if it’s absolutely necessary.” Leon nodded, turning back to Xander as the door softly closed behind their sister. He smiled uncertainly, and his brother pat his head, giving him his own uneasy smile.

“It’s the best we can do for now. Best case scenario, you inform them and nothing comes into fruition, but at least they’re warned and safe.”

“I feel like there’s more to this than that though,” he murmured to himself, and Xander cocked his head, hearing it despite him trying to be quiet. “I mean, I just find it strange that when he said he was planning to overtake the royalty, and then spoke the specifics out loud… do you think he still has a chance?” Xander’s eyebrow shot up, so he continued, hoping he didn’t sound ridiculous as he rambled on. “Think about it, once a demon takes possession of someone, they lose all of their own thoughts and the hosts minds gets overruled; however, from what you all have observed, if they’re having to speak to each other verbally, that must mean they’re not entirely joined. That being said, it’s entirely possible that they can be separated. Brother, I know you’ve already got so much going on already, but do you think you can look into it one more time about the situation? There’s a possibility that the situation can be worse than what you already think it is.”

“How could it be worse?” 

Leon bit his lower lip, not sure if he wanted to say what was in his brain. Wasn’t it obvious?

“I mean, on one side, father tried to make a contract with a demon, for whatever reason, and ended up being tricked and he’s been trying to hold out till someone notices and separates him from it, or on the other side… what if father made the contract with the demon to be hosted in his body on the condition he gets the power that it has? That this isn’t some accident but rather purposefully planned because he wants to get revenge on the royalty for indirectly taking away the late queen? Or even just for selfish purposes. I won’t be able to look into because I have to leave, but whatever the situation ends up being, it’ll be crucial to know if we’re to stop him.”

Xander nods solemnly, looking out his window where the sun just barely peeked through the clouds. “Okay. I will.” Leon felt relief flood through him as his brother smiles. “Your hunches are rarely wrong, so I see no reason to refuse your request. It’s completely reasonable. I’ll update Camilla on the situation and have her keep an eye out as well, and I’ll give you more information through the pocket watch as you travel.” Leon nodded his head and went to leave his room, but stopped short of the door, turning back.

“Thank you, brother, for doing this.”

Xander laughs, waving a hand to the side. “Nonsense, you’re going to be doing the most work out of all of us. I should be the one thanking you if anything.”

“Really, I’m not doing much. It’s you who put the whole idea together to begin wi-” 

“No really, thank you, Leo.” He interrupted, shaking his head slightly. He held his gaze for a bit before smiling warmly at him, “May the divine dragons bless your path.”

He felt warmth rush to his cheeks as he turned away, a smile creeping  onto his face despite his wishes as he completed the phrase, “and may the dusk bring back that which hast wandered.”

-O/O\O/O\O-

When Takumi had left, there was only a small congregation of people as Ryouma had claimed there'd be: his siblings, his mother, and a few officials who were there to make sure he left the perimeter posthaste. Sakura ended up crying the entire time, unable to comprehend why he had to leave to begin with. While he didn't like that his youngest sister was crying, it gave him a certain amount of satisfaction that the officials looked very uncomfortable because of it. He stroked her hair for a bit to calm her down before she was able to give him a coherent good-bye.

Hinoka didn't say much save for a few remarks about bringing back a good souvenir. A very tight bear hug and a bruised rib later, he bid farewell to Ryouma as well, who smiled at him sadly. His mother kissed his forehead before he officially set off on his own, nothing except for his two bags with him as company. 

As he headed toward the border of Nohr, the sun beat down on him, and he was really regretting not having brought a hat with him. In due time however, the sun began to set behind him, taking away the majority of the heat from his face. He smirked a bit recalling how much Hinoka hated being in direct sunlight for any extended period of time, always worried she'd get a nasty sunburn. He could still hear her voice nagging the rest of them to put on some balm to protect them from the harmful rays. Sakura had always laughed at that, the chime-like sounds echoing in the courtyard as she would rush over to Ryouma to protect her from the mean, scary sun. Hinoka would roll her eyes, but would smile nonetheless as their elder brother enacted a fake battle with the glowing orb in the sky, threatening to fly up there and kick the sun so far the moon would rise. 

Looking up even now, he could see the faint white outline of the moon in the sky, and he felt somewhat comforted by it; however, he could also see the border of Nohr slowly approaching. He grimaced as he diverged from the dirt road to avoid being seen by the guards at the gate.

Nohr-folk were picky when it came to who could enter their land, unfortunately, so he’d have to wait until night at an outer post before he’d climb over the wall they had built around their domain, which was ridiculous to begin with when the land ultimately belonged to the current royalty. He pulled up his hood and tucked himself into a crack in the bricks, a curtain of ivy nearby making it look like the wall maintained the same smooth consistency of brick despite the gape present. Putting the bag on his back into his lap, He pulled out a ration of food and began eating.

Takumi squinted at the sun as he ate his early dinner, waiting for it to finally set so he could continue traveling. Just when the sun was starting to dip into the tree line he heard some guards approaching. He stilled as he heard the voices come closer as he squeezed into the spot as much as he could in an effort not to be seen. He closed his eyes as he heard a dull thud above him, and that’s when he realized that the guard were patrolling  _ above _ him. He sighed in relief as he relaxed into his little niche again, but kept his ears attentive, just in case.

“I can’t believe Lord Garon would do that though,” a voice sighed, “his own son?”

“Yeah, I heard it’s because he tried to protect a village of pagan Vallan worshippers from being executed. Can you believe it?” The other guard laughed and Takumi arched an eyebrow, “I swear our Lord is trying to start something with the royalty.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” the other responded back nervously, “I mean, don’t get me wrong here. He’s powerful, yeah, but not powerful enough to beat our monarch.”

“Hm, I guess you’re right, and it wouldn’t make sense to send away Lord Leon if he were going to do that anyways. My bets are that he’s just jealous that the young lord is getting more powerful at the dark arts, than he is.”

The guard responded with a snort, “Yeah, that, or he doesn’t want him getting in favor of the townspeople.”

“Doesn’t need any help with that I’d say; I’d tap that anytime.”

Both guards erupt into laughter as their footsteps faded away. Takumi stewed over their words, not quite sure what to make with the news that Nohr nobility might be up to something. Lord Garon had always been aggressive and rude, but he wouldn’t actually be thinking about starting a war like his ancestors had… would he? Shaking his head, he finished his meal and injected himself with one of his mother’s suppressants, sighing in relief as it calmed his nerves and relaxed his muscles. 

Once the sun had sunk below the horizon and the lamps along the wall lighted, he carefully crawled out of his small hole, covered it with some nearby ivy, and took to climbing. Once he was over, he loosened his hair tie a bit, letting his hair drape around his shoulders as he gave himself some time to adjust. Reopening his eyes, everything around him appeared in such detail, others wouldn’t have believed it was night time at all. Securing the hair tie around his wrist for the time being, he made off through the dense forest, a vixen and her kits later joining him to help lead him to a nearby water source.

After thanking the mother for the help, he slowly took off his boots and dipped his feet in the water, sitting down at the edge of the small lake. Looking up, he couldn’t help but smile at the stars as he identified the constellations that Lady Mikoto had taught him. He traced them lazily in his mind, letting his body relax once more. By the position of the stars, he could tell he had traveled much further than expected.

Takumi estimated around two days worth of traveling had been done, the last day having been made up for when he had let part of his powers through. He sighed, breathing in the cool air. His mind wandered back to the conversation with the guards, and now that he wasn’t so on guard, he was curious about the “Lord Leon” they had referred to. He wasn’t overly familiar with the name, but he did know that Garon had had several children, though few ever passed the age of ten. He tried to think of why, if all Nohrian nobility were the same, should a child of Garon’s rebel against his orders? Takumi scoffed to himself, flicking some hair over his shoulder.

Well, maybe some of them had some moral integrity to uphold.

His mind flashed back to Ryouma telling him that he knew some of the noble children from the family… so assuming this Lord Leon wasn’t the eldest son, then there was a potential three Nohrians who held onto their humanity. He ran a hand through his bangs, annoyed that he didn’t know their names. His mother would’ve scolded him for not knowing such important people, but at this point it didn’t really concern him, for he was but a lowly demon, so who cared what information he knew or didn’t know; it’s not like his opinions mattered in the end anyways. It’s the exact reason he had been driven out of his one real home in his few years of living there in the first place.

He paused as he felt a tear run down his cheek. Takumi wiped at it furiously. How weak of him; he had expected this after all. He was never welcome anywhere for too long, he had just gotten too comfortable with the Hoshidan noble family. It was all his fault that it had gotten out, that he was actually- He startled as he felt something tickle his leg, relaxing a bit when he saw it was just a dandelion fairy.

“I’m not sure why you weep, but your cries have triggered empathy in the surrounding forest spirits. Is there anything you need?” He blushed when he realized he had actually been emitting noises while crying, or sobbing really. As he quickly dried his tears, the fairy piped up again, her movements stirring the grass below her.

“If there’s anything we can do to comfort you, we will do our best. Our host region may not be so open to visitors, but we’re always glad to see other mystical creatures, and you are very much out of your element here, if you don’t mind me saying. And that’s okay. Please,” she added softly, lowering her head a bit, “let us help you.”

Takumi managed the warmest smile he could muster and stuck out his hand for the fairy to land on. “I’m sorry for disturbing you all so late at night, I just happen to be feeling a little homesick. If you don’t mind, is there any place where I might be able to rest before I continue my journey?” 

Her eyes widened and she began to grin, her wings fluttering faster than before, though she seemed to remain stationary on his outstretched hand.

“Of course! The dryads were hoping you might ask that! They’ve been wanting to show someone their hospitality skills for quite a while,” she giggled, fluttering back towards the trees, turning around mid flight to look back him a bit strangely as he got up to follow her. “They also mentioned something about you smelling like a foreign dryad, do you know anything about that?” 

Takumi shook his head slowly. There was a possibility that he could have encountered one, but with his medicine, it was hard to sense others of his kind, let alone species of another ilk. It was better that way perhaps, his mother had said, because knowing risked endangerment itself, especially if people started asking questions.

The fairy shrugged, and as she passed nearby dandelions, other fairies started peeking out and surrounding him, some tugging at and complimenting his hair, some others sitting on his head and shoulders as they began to chatter, asking questions that he couldn’t decipher even if he wanted to since they were speaking so fast. Dryads appeared from their trees, laughing as the fairies tugged Takumi forward by his clothes. 

“Where are we going even?” He asked, laughing a bit, the corners of his eyes still a bit sore.

“It’s a secret!” One said.

“A mystery!” said another.

“Oh if only we knew,” one cried in mock exasperation.

“You’re going to visit Old Lady Willow,” a pine dryad said from beside him, floating casually. “She will consent your stay with us, which I’m sure she will do.” Takumi nodded, butterflies stirring in stomach as he continued on walking. Surely the ancient willow would know what he was, and even then, would she still let him stay? He shook his head. There was no use in pondering, he just hoped that the forest spirits generosity was not going to go to waste on someone like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be the last double-POV chapter for a while. From this point forward I'm putting forth an effort to keep it all in one POV for the entire chapter since that will definitely help with coherency.


	3. Meet

When Leon had left, the only ones there to bid him a goodbye were the other horses in the stable, as Garon has summoned his siblings earlier for a mission briefing. Typical. 

It didn't take long to find his way back to the road that would lead him to the summer house, where he intended to stop before heading to Valla, a place he remembered fondly visiting in his childhood. 

Unfortunately, he couldn't leave unnoticed by his retainers, who caught up to him later on the dirt road more than an hour after he had left, small bags on their backs. 

“What are you guys doing here?” He asked them, trying to sound harsh but letting relief seep into his voice. 

“You thought you could just leave without a goodbye kiss?” Niles questioned him with a smirk as Odin jumped off his horse with a theatrical flip. “Besides, we've got some parting gifts for you from us so you can remember us fondly.”

“I'm not leaving forever,” he laughs, sliding off his mare's saddle to embrace them, “but I'm still glad you came, thank you.”

“Ah, don't get sappy on us milord,” Odin said as he pat his back, “you'll always be able to see our friendly faces through my wonderful watch after all.”

“How  _ did _ you do that by the way?” Leon chuckled as he gave the mage a side glance. 

“Sorry milord, it’s a secret, obviously, and also an ancient tradition of my dark bloodline, even just hearing it without being apart of the family would cause your ears to rot an-”

“-d we only snuck away for a little bit,” Niles interrupted before the other could go on a long spiel, “so we need to get heading back before daddio realizes we're gone. So, as for my gift, well, it's mostly the stuff in the bag, but I also want you to have this.” He slings his bow and quiver bag from his back and hands it over. “You can't always rely on that magic of yours, a day will come where I think you'll need it.”

Leon traced his fingers over the intricate carving on the wood, entranced with them as he looked back up at his retainer. “I don't know if I can take this, you've had this-”

“Since before I came here, yes. It's long been a companion of mine, which is why I'd feel better if you could carry it so that I could at least be with you in spirit.”

“Aaaw, that's so sweet of you,” Odin teased Niles as the man looked away, blush finding way onto his cheeks. 

“Oh hush up,” he snapped, refusing to make eye contact with Leon any longer. “Just show him what you got.”

“Right! For you, my dear lord, I present to you a magical ruby of my own creation. It'll be able to protect you from all physical attacks within its field so long as you provide it with some magical energy, which should be of no problem to you since you are a descendant of the great dragons.”

Odin picked up the gem with a forefinger and thumb, letting a small amount of magic course through it to demonstrate the shield function, a small reddish sphere springing forth and encompassing his arm, before handing it over with a flourish of the hand. Cradling the gem in his palm, Leon closes his eyes, concentrating his power towards the small ruby. As he feels his magic tingle through him, he watches as his own shield takes form as it continues to project outwards, easily surrounding the three of them as Odin cheered. 

“Magnificent my lord! As expected of one with such an impressive bloodline. Truly it is meant to be in your hands rather than mine.” 

Leon can't help but smile as he lets his hold on the magic loosen, the barrier breaking apart in a shimmery type of way before simply fading from his vision. He turns to his two retainers, who look at him with eager faces, happy despite the circumstances and ready to do whatever he asks of them. Truly, what fools the three of them were, in the middle of a forest playing with enchanted items and handing over gifts, but he wouldn't trade it for anything else at that moment. 

Reaching up, he undid his earrings and handed them over to Niles. “These are the earrings I wore the night you broke into the summer home, and I've worn them everyday since then; I pray you'll take care of them in place of me during my absence.”

He swore he could almost see tears in his eyes before the archer bowed with a hand over his chest, “It would be an honor.”

He nodded, turning to his other retainer bounced up and down, “And to you, my grand wizard,” Leon pulled out a necklace from under his shirt, an odd wooden pendant hanging from the center, “a symbol of which I hope reminds you of something pleasant.”

Odin stilled, his eyes going wide as he reaches for the necklace compulsively, his other hand grabbing his upper arm, “the Ylis- I mean, my family crest, when did you…?”

“I saw the marking once during training, and I thought it would make a nice design,” Leon confessed as he smiled meekly, “I hope you don't mind?”

Odin vigorously shook his head, “Of course not! In fact, I must thank you, for the symbol brings back fond memories of my homeland.”

“Then I trust you'll care for it in my absence?”

“Absolutely!”

“Good.”

Leon turns back to his mare, jumping atop of the saddle before facing them once more. “I thank you for coming out to find me, but you must return at once to avoid my father’s suspicion. When you get back, I want you to act like you never found me; I can't have Iago know where I'm headed to.”

“Yessir!” They say in unison, both of them bowing slightly in acknowledgment of the order. 

Leon nods, ushering his horse to a trot, before taking off into a gallop to make up for lost time. The trees seemed to blur together into one as he passes, and he barely registers the waterfall, which indicated the halfway mark, until his horse begins to slow down and move towards it on its own, knowing that this where it usually able to get a drink. He sighs to himself as he pats his mare’s neck, letting her lead the way to the embankment.

He dismounts there, letting his mare enjoy themselves in the small lake as he settles down against a large oak. With slight fascination, he notes that the trees were still at their peaks here, the branches overflowing with bright leaves as if in defiance of the rapidly approaching harvest season. He looked down into his hand, smiling at the fact that his grip on the small ruby and bow had put indents into palms. While he'd have to learn how to properly use a bow, he was certain that Odin’s gemstone would come in handy, especially with the mission he was tasked with.

After mounting once more and resuming his journey, he watched as the sun arced lazily across the sky, following it’s path. By the time he had arrived at the eastern manor, the sun was already setting and small hints of stars twinkled out from behind lingering clouds. 

He breathed in through his nose, relaxing at the smell of trees and flowers and the sound of chirping birds and insects. It was good to be back. 

The peace was disturbed as two guards ran towards him, and he tensed, fearing that they had gotten the message too soon. 

“Lord Leon, you're not suppose to be here!” His stomach dropped. He smiled at them as they approached, trying to ease himself at the thought that their weapons weren't actually drawn. 

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Your father, did he not exile you?” The other of the two started, worry apparent in her voice.

“He did,” Leon said in a huff, “but only because I did not want to sacrifice a village for the sake of teaching them a lesson.”

The guards shifted uncomfortably below him, glancing at each other, unsure of what to do. 

“Hey! What are you two doing?” The two flinched, turning around and saluting the woman approaching them. 

“Greeting the Lord, ma'am!” The other shouted, fear evident in his voice as she gazed at them in indifference. She locked eyes with Leon in an almost bored way until she broke into a grin. 

“Why you cheeky bastard,” she chuckled, her word usage making the two rookie guards go wide in the eyes, “I didn't think you'd actually risk coming back, but here you are.” She strides over and pet his horse's muzzle, ignoring him as she talked, “He didn't work you too hard did he honey? He did? Shame on him. I know, we'll get you some nice oats to eat before he takes off with you again, how does that sound?”

“Captain, she's been fed very well back at the manor, and this is the most exercise she's gotten all week, I'm sure she's fine.” 

“Mhm, I'm sure, just as sure as I am that you haven't gotten any. Now come on jelly legs, let's take her to the stable so you can at least fall into some hay when you get off besides the dirt on this road.” She takes the reigns from Leon as she glances back over to the two guards. “And you two, tell the head butler that the Lord is back and to begin preparations for dinner.” 

They salute and run off, bickering with each other as the captain begins to lead the horse to the back. 

“Now tell me little lord, what made you decide to come back?” 

“I've got stuff to gather here before I can complete my vanishing act, and so long as no one blows my cover, I'll be gone before father can even get word that I stopped here on my way out.”

“I see,” she murmurs aloud, stopping to give him a sharp look, “does it have anything to do with why the spirits have been so restless around here?”

Leon shrugs nonchalantly, “They're always bustling during this time of year, I'm not sure what you mean.”

“Well there was a heck of a commotion last night, even caught a glimpse of some fairies and dryad heading into the forest.” 

“Really?” Leon asked in genuine shock, “They're not usually that careless.” The captain hums in agreement as she enters the stable, his horse following her without the need of the reigns any longer. “I’d like to say I know why, but I’m afraid I’m just as much at a loss for why that happened as you are.”

“Well, when you get the chance, go talk to them for me, will ya’? They always listen to you.”

“It’s only because I have Brynhilder,” he chuckled as he slides off his mare.

She stifles a laugh as he almost falls to the ground, catching himself with one of his hands before he can collide with the floor. “Imagine if you had done that in front of the recruits.” Leon stuck out his tongue at her, blush tinting his cheeks in embarrassment.

“So they were new; I wondered why I hadn’t seen them before.”

“It’s also why they got flustered talking to you; they’ve talked non-stop about finally getting to meet you. You’re their hero you know.” Leon waves a hand in the air as if physically waving off the comment. 

“You’re just saying that to flatter me Ana, I’ve done nothing to deserve that much renown.”

She goes to say something, but is interrupted by an attendant entering the stables. He quickly tells the two, with a slight stutter, that dinner would be ready soon and what their meal would consist of. As he turns and quickly departs, the captain shoots Leon a look, a grin splitting her face. 

“Did you see the way his eyes lingered on you?”

“Oh stop,” he said covering his face with a hand, “They did no such thing.”

“Ohoho, is that what you think?”

“I do.”

“Do I need to go around asking others what they think of you for a survey to prove this to you?”

“You will do no such thing,” he says in horror as he looks at the smug face of the captain. “If you do that, they’re going to think I sent you myself.”

“What a pity, they won’t confess if I do that. It'll be like Gwendolyn’s case all over again.”

“That  _ was _ you!” Leon shakes his head, rubbing at his temples with one hand as he heads towards the house, “I think you just miss your special ops days.” Ana laughs as she trails behind him a bit before bumping his shoulder as she catches back up.

“Maybe a bit, but I prefer to be under your service then Garons’ anyday.”

“How sweet of you,” he says while rolling his eyes, “but don’t think that flattery is going to get you anything.”

“Wouldn’t think of it-”

“Prince!”

The two swivel their heads to the source of the noise, a small rose fairy that’s hovering just by Leon’s face, which causes them both to jump back a bit in surprise. “Thank goodness you’re back, we have wonderful news for you! A visitor has graced us from a foreign land and Old Lady Willow requests your presence immediately.”

“Well that explains all the bustle,” Ana says with a huff. Leon glances over at her for input and she counters sternly, “Don’t just look at me, go with him. Food can wait, you’re sacred duties come first and foremost.” He paused a bit, studying her gaze before nodding to himself.

“Alright, where to then?” The fairy tugs at his sleeve, leading him into the trees as he waves a goodbye to Ana before disappearing behind thick foliage. “So, who’s our visitor?”

The fairy looks up, his eyes shining as he began speaking, “Beautiful, long, silver hair, the cutest face I’ve seen on a creature that wasn’t a fairy, and their clothes are spectacular! The threading and detail, and the-”

“I meant what is their name?” Leon interrupted, knowing how long a fairy could go if he let them speak to their heart’s content.

It blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head as he hovered for a bit in a singular spot. “Oh, right, well, his name is-”

“Takumi.” Another voice, much deeper than the small fae’s before him. He inclines his head and sees that the description was fairly accurate, his hair cascading over his shoulders and swaying slightly as he moves towards them almost silently. “My name is Takumi. Are you who they are calling ‘Prince of the Forest?’”

Too occupied in analyzing him to respond, Leon just nods his head, trying to gather his wits again before trying to verbally express anything. Takumi looks him up and down, most likely noting that he was still wearing armor as his eyes narrowed a bit.

“Let’s go to Old Lady Willow,” the rose fairy pipes up after a silence had fallen over them. “We shouldn’t keep her waiting any longer.”

“Of course.” Leon starts to move forwards when Takumi spoke again, causing him to stop in his tracks.

“What’s your name? I don’t believe I caught it in our conversation.” 

_ So he was a sarcastic one was he?  _ Leon smiled, facing him once more.

“My name is Leo, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has been giving kudos and commenting, it really fuels me to keep writing for this fic! Can't wait to see you guys next week for the next update.


	4. Biscuits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! As you can tell, I've moved the update day to Sunday for several reasons.  
> 1\. Friday was pretty hard to hit since it's at the end of the school week.  
> 2\. If school work is particularly heavy I won't be able to hit the deadline as easily.  
> 3\. Weekends mean a little more free time and a little more leeway in actually completing a chapter.  
> These main ones, with many more, are the reason why I moved the main update day. If something comes up, I'll try to be a to alert you at least a chapter ahead of time if I can. Asides from that, please enjoy this chapter!

This guy was a jerk, and that was a fact.

Takumi sighed to himself as the tree in front of him continued talking. It was hard to pay attention when this  _ prince  _ was being so effortlessly pretty, just his smile being charming enough to make Takumi turn the other way so as to not have to look at it. You could never trust pretty people.

The thing that was most annoying, however, is that he refused to talk to him after giving him his name, only talking to the forest spirits as they swarmed him from all directions, trying to be as close to him as possible and showering him with compliments. Pathetic. 

“Takumi?” He startled and looked up, noticing that all eyes were on him as Old Lady Willow gazed at him with worry. She got up from her spot, walking forward a few steps so that she could stand in front of him. “Is that alright with you? I understand that you're traveling at this moment, your destination hidden from us, but we'd greatly appreciate if you could safely deliver our prince to the border at the very least. It is a dangerous time for him to be alone, even with his powers.”

He quickly turned to Leo, the prince’s eyes refusing to give away whether or not he wished to be accompanied. Takumi swallowed, steadying his gaze with the old dryad. “For the hospitality you have shown me, it would be my honor to do something for you in return.”

The dryad smiled warmly at him, patting his cheek lightly before returning to her perch, leaning up against the tree she called her home. 

“In that case it would be wise if I were to take him back with me.” Leo said, still not talking to him. “I'd be able to outfit him with clothes that would let him blend in with the natives here, though I wouldn't want to take him without your permission.”

The dryad chuckled, gesturing to Takumi with a slow arc. “Perhaps you should ask him, for he is the free spirit who simply wandered into our domain. I cannot decide what he will want to do. His will is his own, thus allowing him to choose his own path in life.”

“I am humbled by your words, oh wise one,” he said with a slightly bow. The dryad says nothing, but seems amused by those words nonetheless. Leo turns to Takumi, and gives a shy nod. “So, would you like to come back to the summer house with me? We were about to have dinner, and I'm sure you're hungry if you've traveled as far as they say you have.” 

The fae around him churned with excitement. _“An offer to stay with the prince?_ _What an honor!_ ” He closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose. Would he be able to stick by this prick for that long? Never mind he'd have to deal with him for the next couple days no matter what he said to this offer, but… He brought a hand to his stomach as his mouth watered at the idea of a fresh meal. Surely that would be better than wasting what provisions he did have. He looked back up at the sprites and Leo, averting his eyes quickly when he made eye contact.

He played it off as a scoff as he flipped his hair over his shoulder, “Whatever, but I’m only going because I don’t want to burden Old Lady Willow.” The fairies chittered at his declaration, and he _swore_ the prince rolled his eyes. _That jerk._ As he began to stalk away, the fae parted for him, the small glow that they emitted lighting the space around him. 

“Wait!”

Takumi looked over his shoulder to see Leo approaching, but didn’t slow down in his stride for the ‘prince.’

“You’re gonna get lost if you wander off by yourself.” Leo accused, and Takumi felt like rolling his eyes right back at the blonde.

“I know my way around better than you think,” Takumi retorted calmly, continuing with his pace. Only after having left the vicinity of the fae did he process what had been said. He paused, almost causing the blonde to run into him. He turned quickly, analyzing Leo. “Wait, did Old Lady Willow not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” He asked as he tilted his head, curiosity shining in his eyes.

“N-nothing.” Takumi stuttered, cursing himself internally for doing so. “I just grew up near a forest, so I’m pretty good at finding my way through them, that’s all.”

“Where you grew up, huh?” Leo taps a finger to his cheek as he ponders over that information, “You wouldn’t happen to be from one of the river tribes in the south would you? I’ve read that they’ve got excellent tracking skills and that some could even hone their eyes so that they could see in the darkest of dusks.”

Takumi blinked a couple times before he responded, “I, am not entirely sure where I come from.” He could see the blonde’s expression shift, but didn’t focus on it too much as he began walking again. “I’ve been an orphan for most of my life and have simply learned to adapt to my surroundings; nothing more, nothing less.” 

He was grateful for the following silence till they reached the manor, which was much larger than he had expected from Leo calling it a summer home. He was motioned over to a side entrance where Leo produced a key from the bag he was carrying. 

“I’ll get you some clothes that you can change into, that way I won’t have to explain your foreign garb to them,” he explained loosely as he moved into the building, waving him inside. “Then after we have dinner we can discuss strategy.”

“Them? Strategy?” Takumi questioned, raising an eyebrow as he followed him through the winding hallways.

“Oh, them being the people that live here, and strategy being how we’ll be getting to Valla,” Leo explains quickly, as he finally ushers Takumi into a room he presumes is the blonde’s. “Since you agreed to be my escort, at least to the border, I feel that it’s best that not only do we know how we’re getting there, but also in what manner. Since I need to get out of here as fast as I can, it’s best if I hide the fact that I’m a noble and travel as lightly as possible, and that of course goes for you as well since we don’t need to draw any needless attention to ourselves.”

“A noble?” Takumi uttered aloud, trying to comprehend the situation. His mind flashed back to the guards conversation and his eyes widened. “Lord Leon?”

“Yes?” the blonde turned, looking at him unaware that he was having an internal epiphany. After a moment of silence,  _ Leon _ shook his head,  _ Lord Leon _ , and laughed slightly. “Actually, just Leo is fine, it’s what everyone calls me.”

“Wait, the same one who saved the Vallan village?”

The blonde blinked, before nodding as he handed him some clothing. “Yeah, though I didn’t expect word to spread so fast,” he said scratching at his cheek, a warm, pink tint gracing his cheeks. “I just don’t think they deserved to be persecuted because of what they believed in.”

Takumi nodded, casting his eyes downwards, “Even though you were exiled for it.” Leon made a noise of  confirmation, moving towards the door. “Well, if you need any help, I’ll be waiting outside.”

The door made a thumping sound as it closed against the wooden panel, leaving Takumi to his thoughts. How strange, that they’re both being exiled from their homes. Was it some weird bout of fate doing this, or just a coincidence? He shook his head. There’d be no point in pondering that. Shaking the clothes out, he found that while they would definitely fit them were a little… 

He looked away from them, embarrassed by the others clothing choices. He set them down, resorting to going through the drawers, but they were all the same cut and style, all of the shirts were, except for those he could tell were supposed to go under armor. He sighed to himself, looking back over at the bundle on the desk. It seems like he really didn’t have a choice here.

When he came out of the room, he heard Leon make a noise that sounded eerily like a laugh, but by the time he actually looked over, it appeared that the lord had recovered, his face schooled into a pleasant smile. “You took a while, did you have some trouble with the clothing?”

“As if,” Takumi replied, “I’m just surprised you actually wear stuff like this,” he said, motioning down to the exposed front. “What’s the point of even having a shirt at this point?” Leon actually snickered a bit at that as he passed him, motioning him to follow. 

“You’re more than welcome to walk around shirtless if you’d like, but I won’t be able to protect you from any more of the ruthless teasing that’s yet to come.”

“Teasing?” He scrunched his eyebrows together, “I wouldn’t think a Lord of your status-”

“Would let that happen? I suppose such a reputation comes from my father, but I assure you, any one of my staff is allowed to speak their mind, of course given the proper situation.”

“Not exactly where I was going,” Takumi huffed. “More like I see you as someone who can’t take teasing well.”

“What?” He whirled on Takumi, shock evident in his voice. “What makes you say that?”

“You’re too serious, one. The professionalism in which you handle things is almost funny if it didn’t seem to be your default personality. Two, I feel like some jokes would easily go over your head and you wouldn’t catch it until it was too late, then you’d be even doubly embarrassed for being caught up in such a joke. And three-”

“Your sense of fashion is a joke.”

“Ana!” Leon now turned to an older woman who leaned on the side of a door, a loose braid resting against her shoulder as she twirled it with a finger.

“Hello little lord. You were gone for quite a bit, so I was just about to set aside a portion for you, but I see you now have a guest as well.” She raises an eyebrow, a sly smile crossing her face, “What did you do to the poor boy? He looks completely out of his element.”

“He is a forest spirit that has offered to guide me to the border tomorrow, so I thought it best to show some hospitality.” Leon says as he forces blush down, Takumi still not sure on whether or not to point out that he hadn't  _ exactly  _ volunteered to go on this expedition. 

“So you bedded him?”

The silence following was deafening to Takumi. He dared not even look at Leon, dared not even make eye contact with the mischievous smile that was aimed their way as he struggled to keep his face from totally heating up. Leon started to splutter a response, waving his arms to the side as he denied the accusations. 

“W-what? No. Ana what are you saying? I would never- to think, no, do you really think? I- are you messing with me? This is not funny. No, stop laughing.” Ana’s laughter rings through the halls as she wipes at the corners of her eyes, and no matter how much her voice repeats that it was just a joke, Takumi could still feel the world closing in and slowing down. 

He could feel himself fading, his sense dulling as his mind still echoed the same sentence, the same inquiry. It was crazy to even think this way, but he had his doubts. There was no way she could know of his nature, nor of what he truly was, especially if this so called prince hadn't been able to, but had she? Was she one of them?

_ One of us?  _ He thinks hopefully.

He shook his head. No, he hadn't sensed anything, but maybe she was like him in a sense? In hiding. It wasn't impossible, Nohr basically offered a new life to those who wanted to disappear and runaway. Even then, he felt her identification had been too fast, or perhaps it is of her particular nature to make such crude jokes? Yeah. 

Takumi nodded to himself satisfactorily, closing his eyes as he did so to stop the room from spinning. That's exactly what this was. There's no way she could've figured it out so fast. He was worrying over nothing.

“I am a bit sorry for you though,” Ana’s voice tunes back in, and he realized he was being talked to. “I mostly meant to tease the lord, not for you to be collateral damage, but what's done is done however, so I offer my condolences to you, forest spirit.” She bowed slightly, an arm raised over her chest. “My name is Ana and I am the captain in charge of this manor while the lord is away. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

His mind freezes, but his training from living in Lady Mikoto’s household rings true as his body reacts accordingly, mirroring the bow. “The pleasure is mine captain, and please, Takumi is fine.”

Ana chuckles as she straightens, “This one has more manners than the last one.” 

“Hardly,” Leon responds with a calculated stare his direction, which Takumi makes sure to avoid despite the biting comment. “But never mind that, the food is getting cold.” 

“Right you are my lord, I'll make sure to fetch some more biscuits from the kitchen for you guys.” The captain slips past the blonde, glancing at Takumi as she makes her way down the hallway. She pauses, then smiles as she points to her head.

“I like your hair tie by the way.”

Takumi reached up to his hair to grab onto it, unconsciously fiddling with the strings.  _ Oh gods, maybe she did know after all. _ Leon was in his view too fast for him to ponder on it any longer, grabbing his hand as he dragged him into the adjacent room.

“What, have you never received a compliment before?”

“Of course I have, and unhand me.” He yanks his hands out of the blonde’s grasp, causing him to give him a scolding look. “I can walk by myself thanks.”

Leon huffed, crossing his arms as he glared at him. “I’m just trying to be nice.”

“Well your  _ nice _ is unnecessary.” Takumi snaps.

“Okay.” 

“Okay?”

“Okay,” Leon confirms again with a nod, “It won’t be long before you need my assistance anyways. Just remember this instance before the next time you need my help.” He walks into the room with a sharp turn of his heel, muttering something about not having manners before disappearing from view. Takumi mocks his words as he walks in after him, sticking his tongue out at the blonde’s back before surveying the area.

It was quite the ornate dining area, even the cushions to the high backed chairs seemed to have some intricate golden leaf pattern on them. Leon was already seated at the end of the table, blowing on some still steaming soup. The blonde glanced up, but quickly looked back down at his meal before motioning to the only seat left with food in front of it. 

“I hope beef stew is to your liking.”

“Never had it.” He responded curtly, taking satisfaction in the way shock took over the other's facial expression.

“Then you’re just missing out,” he remarked coolly, focusing his attention on the soup. “Though I suppose you could say it tastes a bit like your miso soup.”

He settled into his seat, giving him an odd look out of the corner of his eyes. “How’d you know I came from Hoshido?”

Leon huffed amusedly, leveling his gaze with Takumi. “Please, that was child's play. The regional clothing you were wearing was far too distinct to  _ not _ recognize it.” He took a sip of his soup as if to challenge him to refute, but he had nothing but anger to seep in at this point. “Which is also why I got you changed as soon as I could, cause while Nohr is by no means enemies or rivals with Hoshido, it is always best to stick to the safe side of things especially when in the business of going unnoticed. Speaking of which,” He said, nodding up to him, “it might be best to get rid of that hair tie, it sticks out like a sore thumb.”

“Absolutely not. This from my mother and I refuse to take it out.” Takumi countered defensively. “Going unnoticed is the least of my concerns if you intend to make me depart with everything I started out with.”

Leon sighed, setting his spoon in his bowl. “I have no intention of doing so, but if you could be a little more inconspicuous-”

“Says the one who came into the forest in full armor.”

“Okay, listen, that’s really not the point right now.” Leon said exasperated as he put out a hand as if it would help calm Takumi. 

“Oh sure it isn’t,” he said throwing his hands to the air as he rolled his eyes at Leon, “because you totally didn’t attract any attention with all those swirling fae around you and the magical glowy lights, oh and the fact that you're a fucking  _ lord of the domain  _ and that all the forest spirits call you  _ prince. _ Real subtle there. Full kudos.”

“Takumi, please just-”

“Please, what? Stop talking? No, I don’t really think I want to stop doing that right now, thank you very much. In fact, I’d very much like if I could just have this moment, to mourn the death of a lousy and unheard opinion-”

“You can keep the clothes!” He huffed, standing up from his seat. “If you get caught, see if I care, but if that’s enough to get you to just shut  _ up _ for one minute, one  _ blissful _ minute, than yes, please, keep your Hoshidan garb.”

“Why,  _ thank you _ Lord Leo, what a kind thing of you to offer to me, but that’s okay. I just wanted to keep the hair tie, but I’ll happily keep my clothes for another occasion.” Leon groaned as he sank back into his seat and Takumi grinned. He could definitely count that as a personal victory for the day.

“I got the biscuits, they’re fresh from the oven, so sorry they took so long!” Ana announced as she marched down to where the two of them sat. “You looked all worn out my lord, was the day really that tiring for you?”

“You have no idea,” Leon said as he threw an arm over his eyes, sinking into his chair a little further as he ignored his cooling soup.

The captain shrugged as she turned to Takumi to offer the basket out to him, “Biscuit?”

He smiled at her pleasantly, ignoring the groan from the chair beside him, “Yes please.”


	5. Commence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to post last week, my uni had Homecoming last week and being in the band (which is basically a part time job) even more than I usually was last week really drained the energy out of me, but I promise to make it up to you guys!

While he had desperately wanted to discuss a more concrete plan with Takumi after dinner, it seemed that he had just not been interested. Typical Hoshidan attitude.

“We’ll get there when we get there, there’s no need to be so preoccupied with the details.” The other had remarked once they had returned to his room. “Worrying over all the possibilities won’t do us any good.”

“I’ll have to disagree with that,” Leon asserted, pressing to discuss the topic further. “The more we talk about it the better prepared we’ll be.”

Takumi huffed at that and rolled over to face away from him, which Leon made a face at. “The route has been set and the places we’ll rest marked accordingly, what else could we have to go over?”

“What happens if we get split up?”

“We return to the room. Simple.”

He glared at the back of his head, not pleased with the rude tone of voice being used. “What if we’re ambushed and separated then?”

“We go to the next town on the map and meet there.”

“What if you don’t remember where it is?”

“This is just a whole bunch of what ifs!” Takumi exclaimed, sitting up and turning around to face him. “You can’t tell me that all your plan is is running hypotheticals with me?”

Leon scoffed, “It’s much easier to do that then try to have explain it in simpler terms later on.” He bites back. “Someone like you wouldn’t possibly understand how much thought goes into any simple strategy.”

He could tell that Takumi really wanted to retort, but instead they looked away, clenching their fist to restrain themselves. “This is getting nowhere.”

“Agreed.” He remarked calmly, smirking as Takumi took in a deep breath, exhaling it slowly.

“The fae and Old Lady Willow mentioned something about you having some sort of powers, what were they referring to exactly?”

“Hm, what indeed?” Leon pondered aloud as he lifted a finger to his lips. He chuckled at Takumi’s reaction, a deep scowl shot his direction, and waved a hand in the air. “I’m joking. They were probably referring to the fact that I can use magic.”

He saw as the other rolled his eyes and Leon sighed aloud, raising his eyebrows. “What, like you can do better?”

“I probably can actually,” Takumi said confidently, flipping his hair over his shoulder. “I’m the best archer I know.”

“Must not know many people then,” Leon muttered as he purposefully looked away from the others heated glare. “But that’s useful to know. Do you have a bow on you?”

The other went to answer, but then paused mid-word. He bit his thumb, thinking for a bit before shaking his head. “No, I didn’t bring one with me.”

Leon nodded, noting the archer’s hesitancy for later as he got up from his bed. “Well luckily for you, I’ve just recieved a bow in most excellent condition.” The blonde grabbed the delicately carved bow and quiver of arrows and handed them to Takumi, who looked quite shocked at the display. He shook his head again before pushing them away slightly.

“I couldn’t, they’re too nice for me to use, and it’s obviously well loved by whomever owns it.” It was Leon’s turn to roll his eyes. Out of all times to be modest.

“It’s my retainers, and he specifically wanted it to be used to protect me, now take it. How else do you intend on fulfilling your promise if you have no other weapons on you?” Takumi bristled a bit at the jab, but he took the bow and arrows anyways. 

“Have it your way then.” He grumbled as he put it down near his own stuff. “You must be pretty damn rich for your retainer to have such nice stuff.”

“Niles had it before meeting me, but yes, it is quite nice. He carved it himself in fact.”

“Quite the craftsmen he is,” the other commented sincerely.

“Bit of a perfectionist too, but it’s regarded only in certain things.” Leon shrugged, glad that the tension was leaving the conversation.

Takumi laughed, his eyes softening as he stared blankly into space, “I know someone else who’s like that, well, except he’s a perfectionist in everything he does. Seems to pull it off though, which is impressive considering the standards he gives himself.”

The mage had felt himself pause at that, not quite sure what to make of the other’s expression and how he had phrased his words. “Who exactly?” he heard himself ask quietly, as if not wanting to break whatever calm had overtaken the archer.

It took Takumi a while to respond, but after a bit he just gave Leon a small smile before responding with “A friend of my little sister.” He didn’t know quite what he felt about the answer he had been given, but decided to go to sleep after that, insisting that it was best they rested as much as they could before disembarking the next day. He was met with no protests as Takumi excused himself from the room to go to his own. 

Even after he had left, Leon had not been able to go to sleep. Something was worrying him, he just couldn’t pinpoint what.

The next day when they had departed, Ana had said something about him looking like shit, which he just waved off as lack of sleep for finishing some details about their trip. Takumi had rolled his eyes at that, but Leon was too tired to care about his opinion at that point. Mercifully, the archer stayed quiet though, accepting the horse that Ana handed him and mounting it easily. The journey after that had been relatively quiet, only disrupted when they had to make a change in direction or stop to rest and eat.

Leon found himself nodding off during rest stops, sometimes even atop of his horse, and not until he almost fell off did Takumi say something.

“You can’t keep going like this,” he said in an almost exasperated tone. “You’re too tired for us to make good time, we should just stop and rest instead traveling these back roads.”

He shook his head, “No, that won’t do. The people around here know me, and if word gets out I’m in the area, with an escort no less, Iago will be on us in no time.”

“Who  _ is _ this Iago you keep speaking of?” Takumi almost yelled, throwing his hands in the air. “Surely if he does come, we could just talk it out-”

“Iago doesn’t come himself,” Leon spoke lowly, speaking his name as if it was a curse. “He sends his minions out to do his bidding. He’s just a terrible person all around, and I have no idea what my father sees in him, but it’s like he has a vendetta against my siblings and I, but especially me as of late, which is why I must insist on us sticking to the schedule.”

Takumi fell silent for a bit, letting Leon’s mind wander off once more, and just when he was about to doze into a sort of reverie, the archer spoke up again.

“If that’s the case, can’t you just use magic to disguise us?”

Leon perked up at the sound of using magic, but then shook his head. “Those are minor illusion spells and easily lifted if anyone comes into contact with them. The powerful ones you speak of would need more time to prepare, and usually involve highly complex potions that you’d typically just go to a witch for. Your idea is a good one though, and will be utilized when and if the opportunity presents itself.”

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me.” Takumi replied flatly, pulling his horse up beside Leon’s. 

“You act as if you’ve been nothing but nice to me this entire time.” Leon scowled.

“I suggested that you rest for your own betterment, that’s a nice thing right there.” He pointed out as if it made all the difference.

“Only because you didn’t think we’d make good time if I was tired and that’s still only one thing.” He huffed as Takumi rolled his eyes at him, even though he must’ve been well aware he was watching him do so.

“As per your beloved hypotheticals, if we’re to be ambushed and you’re too tired to help out in the fight, we’ll be easily overtaken. Facts are facts, you need rest.”

While it frustrated Leon that he was right, he still didn’t like admitting it, especially with Takumi approaching it the way that he did. Despite all of that however, he knew better than to try push himself during such long journeys, and seeing how it hadn’t been a great start, he figured it’d be best to listen to him, no matter how much it conflicted with his pride.

“Alright,” he conceded, looking over at Takumi, who looked quite triumphant to hear those words, “but you’ll need to get the room. Like I said earlier, the people around here know me too well, so I’ll cast a minor allusion over myself to keep hidden.” 

Takumi shrugged, not looking to burdened by his new task. “Is that it?”

“Well, I'll have to cast a minor illusion over you too, but just a small one, nothing major.” He corrected quickly, seeing his eyebrow shift up. “Since you won't depart with your very visibly Hoshidan hair tie, I’m gonna need to cover it up just a bit so people don't get suspicious.” 

“That… should be okay,” he said slowly, nodding as if confirming something. 

“Just make sure to not touch it after I cast the spell, otherwise it will dissipate.”

Takumi gave him a nod of confirmation, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes as he leaned back into the saddle. “So, where we stopping then?”

“A town that’s a bit out of the way, but a place where they keep their secrets. Good people, so even if we get found out, there shouldn’t be much commotion.”

The archer raised an eyebrow at that. “So you know them?”

“Well,” Leon rubbed the back of his head, struggling to keep his eyes open, “I’ve visited a couple times on my way to meet my older sister, Camilla, and they treated me well enough, though it’s still best to take precautions. Never know who else may be visiting.”

“I see,” the other pondered aloud, focusing back onto the trail. “Time estimate?”

“I’d guess a quarter of an hour if we take a left at the fork up ahead,” he said, motioning forward to a small clearing surrounded by tall bushes and flowers. “But if we do that I’ll have to cast the magic now.”

“And why’s that?”

“Cause if I don’t I’ll more than likely doze off and forget to do so before we enter town.” Leon said impatiently, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You sure do ask a lot of questions.”

“It’s your fault that you don’t explain stuff, now just hurry up and do your magic stuff, I’m curious to how it works.” Takumi pulls back on the reins, stopping his horse. Leon does the same, pulling up closer so that he wouldn’t have to reach.

“Since I don’t have a tome with me, I’ll just have to use an incantation instead,” Leon said, turning in his saddle to face him, “meaning you’re going to have to lean over a bit for me to do this right.” 

The archer inclined his head towards him, his ponytail swinging off of his shoulder and nearly touching Leon’s knees as he put a palm near the hair tie. 

“ _ Conjectus omnimodo haec inlusio _ ,” He murmured quietly, feeling the tug of the magic bubble lightly into existence. He could feel the warm light being emitted from his hand washing over them, the small, shimmering field of illusion forming from pieces of magical refracting fragments in the air. “ _ Stulte hos oculosque hostis, facesse tactus.”  _ As he completed the spell, the hair tie took shape into a classical golden hairpin, which glinted in the sunlight as if it were the real thing. He sighed, lifting a hand to cover his own face before repeating the chant, the particles tickling his cheeks as they formed another illusionary barrier to protect his identity.

 

“Now we don’t have to worry about it later,” he said, restraining himself from rubbing at his eyes. “And remember, no touching the hair tie.” He stopped, feeling heat rise to his face as the archer just stared at him. “What is it Takumi?” He laughed nervously, “Did I mess up the spell or something?” The question seemed to pull him out of his trance and he shook his head.

“No, but never go brunette, it just looks weird.” It took a while for Leon to comprehend his words. He really was more tired than he had thought. Chuckling tiredly as he spurred his mare back into a trot, he responded half heartedly, feeling slightly better that the decision to stop had been made. “I definitely don’t intend to.”

They took the left at the fork as Leon had suggested, and before he knew it they were at the small village by the name of Aajied. It had felt like only two minutes or so, but maybe that was only the amount of waking time he had been aware of traveling. He vaguely noticed that the reins to his mare had been tied to Takumi’s saddle, and perhaps for that he was slightly grateful. 

He sat up straighter, leaning forward a bit to tug on the other’s cloak. Takumi startled a bit, turning to look over at him, nodding in acknowledgement that he had woken up. 

“Is the illusion still there?” He inquired, not sure if he had fallen into his horse during the time he had been out.

Takumi made a face he couldn’t quite identify before he turned away, “Unfortunately so, now let’s just find an inn we can rest at.”

Leon nodded, despite the fact no one would be seeing him do so. “There’s one near the back of the village we can go to. They’ve got a horse stable there too.”

“Perfect,” is the reply that comes shortly after as the archer leads both the horses through the streets. As he looks around, he is thankful to note that no one was looking their way. At the best, they got a simple glance their direction for simply taking up space: no stares or gawking, no vivid fascination or pointing, just simply being. He smiled to himself, content with the shred of normalcy he could experience once more.

It reminded him of when he was a child, when he and Elise would explore past the confines of the main manor and play with the village children. It’s where Leon had first made friends of someone his father wasn’t connected to and that Iago wasn’t scrutinizing, and it had been thrilling. They were later caught sneaking out by Camilla, who, after having scolded them for doing something so immature and reckless, reassured them that she wouldn’t tell Xander about the incident at all. It was a memory that he truly treasured, one of the few times he had really been allowed to do what he had wanted to do without garnering a true consequence. A completely innocent experience he’d likely never be able to recreate. 

“We’re here. You got the gold?”

He snapped his head up, sitting still in his saddle for a bit before nodding a response. He jumped off the mare, almost immediately regretting his decision as he grabbed on to his horse’s neck for stability. Leon heard Takumi suppress a laugh, and he would’ve retorted if he wasn’t solely focused on getting his legs to move like he wanted them to. By the time he could stand on his own, Takumi had already dismounted and taken the bags off of the back of the saddles and was waiting patiently near the door.

“Took you long enough, jelly legs.” He remarked snidely, catching the bag of coins Leon threw at him with an open hand.

“This is fast considering my current state.” 

“And you’re the one who insisted we get a good night's’ sleep.”

“Do as I say, not as I do.” Leon yawned weakly as they entered the lobby area. It was warmly decorated, cushioned chairs and round wooden tables littered the area in an informal way. To the right, a staircase wound itself along the wall, disappearing behind a rather large bookshelf covering the back wall. Adjacent to this were shelves of different alcohols, the bar only inhabited by a singular patron and a young bartender who looked like they’d much like to be elsewhere than entertaining the already drunk man. Sure enough, as soon as the lad made eye contact with them, he wiped his hands on his apron and scurried out from around the high counter, an extra pep in his step as a smile spread across his face. 

“Hello, what can I do for you two today?”

“Just a room for the night if that’d be alright with you.” Takumi said in a soft, saccharine sweet voice, one that would’ve made him cringe if he didn’t feel like collapsing on the spot where he stood. 

“Of course! I’ll get that ready for you right away.” The boy quickly ran back to the bar area, entering a doorway he hadn’t seen the first time built into the side of the stairs. A bit later he reappeared with an older lady, one that Leon immediately recognized as the owner of the small tavern and inn. She didn’t spare them a second glance before she berated the man at the counter for being there so early again. 

“If you’ve got time to be here, you’ve got time to be helpin’ your wife with the tots. Now off with ya’! I don’t want to see ya’ here until after sundown, ya’ hear me?”

The man laughed in a humble sort of way before bumbling out of the lobby, excusing himself as he almost bumped into them and found his way out the front door. The woman shook her head, crossing her arms as she approached the two of them.

“Wanted a room for the night did’ja?” She asked good naturedly. “I’ll tell ya’ what, I don’t get a lot of customers out this way, just the same old bums and a couple special circumstances, but not much inbetween. If you join us for dinner and tell me some news from the outside, maybe even a bit about yourselves, I’ll give you a discount on your room.”

Takumi didn’t seem to even hesitate, politely accepting the request but promising the information at a later time as if it was his second nature to negotiate with others. She seemed pleased enough by his response and took their coins happily, yelling at the boy to lead them to their room.

Blearily, he followed the child and the archer up the stairs and down a hallway or two before being ushered inside of a room. As the door shut, he felt himself gravitating toward the bed, slowly falling into the mattress, sinking into the nice and comforting feeling of being surrounded by sleep. Leon felt like he was being spoken to before he drifted off, but if he was, Takumi would just have to wait until he woke up now. He was the one that suggested sleep first after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the artist and originator of this Demon!AU on Twitter @lynneissleepy and on Tumblr @46gohan/@caketasteslikeregret!


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